Signaling apparatus.



L. N. FRENNETTD.

SIGNALING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. I915.

1,2 52,56 3. v Patented Jan. 8,1918.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

FIG-.5- n

J G $519.5. 111cm- .1 INV TO. E1315; 1:;

BY I A ORNEY.

WITNESSE;

L. N. FRENNETT.

SIGNALING APPARATUS. APPLIC ATIOH HLED NOV. 8.19I5- Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

LEWIS N. FRENNETT, OF SAN DIEGO, OALIFOBNIL SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application flied November 8,1815. flerlal No. 60,277.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS N. Fannnn'r r, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a new and use ful Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My. invention relates to signaling devices for use on motor vehicles and the like, to indicate the direction in which the driver intends to turn when approachin" an intersecting thoroughfare into which he intends to turn.

The objects of my invention are to provide an indicator which shall be compact and out of sight within a housing when not displayed as a. signal; to afford facilities so that the housing may be mounted upon a variety of brackets or supports so that the housing may be attached to any style of motor vehicle or horse drawn vehicle; to provide ea to operate the indicator; and to afford cili ies so tliatthe operating means may be mounted \tanydesirable place in the ehicle to suit theconvenience of the driver.

With these and other objects in view I illuserate the preferred form of my invention-adapted for use on a Ford, Model T, automobile. However I do not wish to be understood as limiting the invention to this articular make of automobiles but it is to ie understood that within the scope of what hereinafter is disclosed various changes in the precise embodiment. of the invention herein shown may be made without departing; from the spirit of the invention, as I intendtoadapt it for use on automobiles, auto trucks, horse drawn vehicles, street cars and motorcycles.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 's-a sideelevation of-the-indicating device and" housing as th indicator appears was; displayed; I*i g.--2J is aside elevation of ,thddevicc shown in Fig. 1 showing the findicator'nlosed 'asitis' when .not displayed as a signal; Fig. is an elevation of the leaf g; Fig. is an elevation. of F the direction of the arrow; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the leaf b} Fig. (3 is an elevation. of Fig. 5 looking in thediretion of the arrow; Fig. 7 is an elevation o lheleaf'a; Fig. 8 is an elevation of Fig. 7 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 9 is an elevation of the leaf It, Fig. 10 is an elevation of Fig. 9

lookingin the direction of the arrow; Fig.

1g. 3 looking in' 11 is an elevation of the operating means, part of one clamp arm being broken away; Fig. 12 is a top plan view of Fig. 11, the clamp arms being shown full; Fig. 18 IS an elevation of Elg. 11, looking in the direction.

showing the signal attached at the side thereof and the operating means clamped to the steerin wheel column and the cable leadin to t e signal; Fig. 17 is a fruglnem tary pan view of Fig. 16.

Similar reference characters denote like parts thr, aghout; the several views.

Referr 'g to Fig. 1 thenuine-ral 1 denotes the h] of the signaling d brac ts, ,artly broken a'vxamb'yw ich it is evice' e', Qthe attached to the automobile a, 'b, a, d, e, f 9,

and h the leaves of blades "of the displaying surface, which swing about the bolt 3., A

cable 4 is attached to the blade h, at the point i, and, rims over a pulleyr5; a spring 6 is disposedeabout the bolt 3 and has one en connectedto the blade h, at the point j, and the opposite end disposed against the inside of the housing 1 at the point la. The blades are connected together by chains 7 attached to lugs .8 ends to hold them from being pulled apart wh en the surface isldis liz'i've and to pull them out of the housin'g w ten in t acii of makinj" a display. In order to h d the blades with their broad surfaces to on chother atgiifll stages of thl opejrrtion,- the. ends are bent" as shown in Figs. 14; (hand 8 so th at, heg'inningwith'the lotigst', each sue needing blade'loop tits-into theliiop preceding it. This pcrn'iits the blade'ends to move freely in arcshaving the same center and to stand parallel when they are drawn into the housing 1.

Beginning with the blade. 1;, each notch r is wider than the ing and each lugs, locatcd at the bottom of said notches, is nearer the center of rotation than the preceding: lug 8.. Each lug a which is localed on the edge of the blade is at a point which swings in the same are as the 110 one immediately rcccdadjacent lug 8 on an adjacent blade. Achain 7 connects each pair of logs s and 8 as before mentioned. The arrangei'i'ient of the lugs as above set forth and the provision of the different length notches permit of the blades being drawn into the housing by the cable t attached to the flange m on the blade it. This flange not only pushes the other blades into the housing but closes the open ing in'the housing thereby protecting the blades from dirt and rain and giving the housin a better appearance. The brackets 2 may "e of any shape ordesign to suit the automobile or other vehicle to which the device is attached. In the drawings the device is shown mounted at an angle of forty-five degrees with the side of the automobile and I deem this the referable angle for the reasonthat pedestrlans and motorists as well as the traflie policeman can more readily see the signal when mounted at this angle but any other angle can be used as desire.

Referrin to Figs. 11 to let inclusive, the numeral 9 enotes the barrel of the operating device mounted upon the steering wheel. coinmn in Figs. 16 and 17; 10 the plunger member the cylindrical art 0 w ich moves longitudinally within the barrel '3; 11, the locking member the fulcrum of which is at the point 71,, Figs. 13 and 14; 12; a pulley mounted on the extension 0 of the barrel member 9.; 13, the arms by whichthe barrel 9 is clamped upon the steering wheel column. The invention is operated as follows,.the parts being mounted and disposed as shown in the drawin s, showing the signal dislayed: The 'piunger 10 is pulled upward y hooking the finger under the hook p on the plunger member 10 which pulls the cable 4 and thereby draws the blade ji) upward which pushes the other blades into th"e hous ing 1.- To display the signal, the bent lever 11 is pushed against the barrel 9 which, moving on itsfulcrum at n, releases the plunger 10 which'is pulled downward by the action of the springti in the housing 1 as it -forces the blade out of the housing 1 thereby bringin all oi the display surface into view.

t will be. seen-that the stronger the spring 6 pulls. the plunger the better thelocking member works for the reason that the hole in the locking member 11 is slightly larger than the plunger. and the pull exerts a bind- "ing force upon the lever 11. and, that the moment the binding isFreleased the plunger is free. In-or'der to exert a binding force in addition to that exerted by the pull of the s ring 6 uponth'e plunger, a spring' (I fiiayigi disposed against the locking mem Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let icrs Patent of the United States is 1. A device of the class described comprising a housing having brackets adapted to be attached to an automobile; a shaft mounted in said housing; a series of blades of dif-- fi'ient lengths, rotatably' mounted on said shaft within said housing having their free ends bent, the bent end of one blade fitting into the bend of the next longer throughout.

the series, each blade being connected to the next succeeding blade by a chain having its points of connection in the same are, but in a different are from the points. of connection of any other chain; a spring disposed about'said shaft and having one end conseries of blades of difi'erent lengths rotatably mountd; on said shaft; having their free on s one upon the other insuccession a. having notches of difi'erent lengths in the corresponding ed es' tliereof; lugs erected. from said blades, said notches being adapted to provide room for said lugs; a chain connecting the lug erected from one blade with thelu' erected from the edge of the. next succee ing blade, said pair of 111 s being adapted to move in. the same are; a ike conn'ection from the bottom of said last named blade-to the next succeeding blade,but adapted to move in a different are from said first named points of connection and so on throughout the series; a s ring wound about said shaft,'having one en engaged with the shortest blade and the other end disposed against the back wall of said housing pul- .leys mounted on said automobile; a flange on said shortest blade; :1 cable attached to said flange and extending through a hole in said housing and over said pulleys to. the steering wheel column. of, said automobile; for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereunto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two subscr bing witnesses.

. L-Ew s- N. FRENNET-T.

Witnesses Amos R. EATON, H. H. HIMEBAUGH. 

